


If You Could Only See The Truth

by Thats_Enzo_Or_Max_To_You



Category: WWE, World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Abuse, Betrayal, Brotherhood, Cussing, Distrust, Eventual Romance, Friendship, Gay Romance, Hatred, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Slash, Slow Build, The Shield | WWE, forced obedience, m/m - Freeform, mild violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-16
Updated: 2016-06-20
Packaged: 2018-07-15 08:34:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7215250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thats_Enzo_Or_Max_To_You/pseuds/Thats_Enzo_Or_Max_To_You
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The betrayal of The Shield isn't what it seems. Seth Rollins is the best liar when the camera is on, but the bruises on his skin tell a whole 'nother story. Why? Seems to be the only question he got with the insults. He wishes he could tell the truth, but that would mean the people that hate him would need to believe him. Who would believe anything he says now? Who would believe what's happened to him? No one. That's exactly why he says nothing. Maybe, the bruises and broken bones could speak for him one day. </p><p>ON HIATUS (sorry guys ;-;)</p><p>(I'm so horrible at summaries, hopefully this turns out to be a good story anyways. Rated T for now, may go up to M later depending on where I go with this story. But I doubt I'd rate it that way except to be safe.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: That Final Day

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first story I'm posting on here. It's a work in progress, taking it a chapter at a time. My style of writing has changed like ten times this year XD This is one of the few that work, I think. Anyways, this is just a 'Present Tense - Prologue' thing. I'm unsure the whole story will be in this style, just depends on where I decide as a "starting point" for the first chapter. Enjoy! 
> 
> -Enzo

**Prologue: That Final Day**

June second, two-thousand-fourteen. A regular old day to everyone, same routines as always after a pay-per-view. The Shield sleeps soundly in their hotel room. Roman in one bed by himself as he had accidentally gotten into the habit of kicking Seth or Dean out of the bed; Seth sprawled out on the other with Dean stretched out over top of him. The Powerhouse of the group is the first to wake up, laughing quietly to himself at the sight of his two friends. Glancing at the clock, 7:41 am, he decides to let the other guys sleep while he takes a shower. By 8:37 am, he is sitting on the edge of his bed, fully dressed just trying to get his hair dry. 

He keeps quiet, enjoying the silence. They had, had their ups and downs but as of now he is certain they are stronger and closer than ever. The Shield would always be in the history books; other teams would be compared to them for years to come. He is finally sure that nothing would ever happen to them, they would always be together. They were finally at the top; the championship is the last thing that they need. Roman doesn’t really mind which of them gets it, they’ll have each other’s backs no matter what. 

He went through, thinking about who would be the best champion among the three of them. He has the most power backed by one hell of a Samoan heritage. Dean is all-around, he can talk, he can fight, he takes risks, and is just fun to watch. Seth is high-flying, fast paced, great trash talker, risk taker, and is good at everything he does. Honestly, he thought, those two would make stellar champions and he couldn’t wait to see them win that belt when the time would come for each of them. 

The Powerhouse is so lost in thought he didn’t notice when The Architect had woken up. Seth is sore from the night before, but who wouldn’t be? That whole match was insane. He moves his arm so his fingers can mindlessly fiddle with Dean’s short, dirty blonde hair. He swells with pride and happiness, they had done it; and together they still are. He cringes, remembering what Hunter had forced him to agree to on Saturday. Today is going to suck. Part of him wants to be alone, but the other wants to be as close to Dean and Roman as he possibly can get for as long as he physically is allowed to. He knows they would never let him close again, not after tonight. 

The day ticks away, slowly for Dean as he’s anxious to get back into the ring; he always is. For Seth, it seems to just run away from him. The trio laughs, smiles, and goofs off with each other throughout the morning, the drive to the next city, and breaks in said drive. Roman and Dean were both still high off the victory, while Seth seems to have forgotten it already. It goes unnoticed at first by his two best friends; they simply enjoy the time together. The Architect keeps his cool, reminding himself that he has no choice. It wasn’t like he wants this; he is going to hate every second of it. Hell, he already is hating it. 

“Hey, you feeling okay?” Dean’s voice brought the smallest member of The Shield back to reality. They are in the car, still an hour away from the arena. The Lunatic Fringe places a hand on his friend’s shoulder who becomes stiff the moment there’s contact. Ambrose knows right away something isn’t right. Roman is driving, but at a light he takes a moment to look back at their friend, their little brother as they like to call him. 

“Yeah, I just got lost in thought. I don’t have a good feeling about tonight,” their two-toned teammate replies, still not able to look either of his ‘brothers’ in the eye. The Powerhouse has to go back to driving as the light changes to green, but Dean keep his eyes locked onto the back of his friend’s head. Whatever it is that is bothering him is bound to come out eventually, but it is clear he isn’t hip to talk it out right now. Dean could understand this, he holds a high amount of respect for Seth and Roman; just like they do for Dean. 

“Well, whatever it is, we’ve got your back. Tonight will be fine, what’s the worst that can happen? We get our asses handed to us again? Nothing we can’t handle,” Ambrose says, confidence radiates off of him. They are at the very top now; they could get just about anyone to do their bidding for them with how much power they now hold. At most, all they had to do was twist a few arms and step on a few toes, and bam, they could have most of the locker room wrapped right around their fingers. He and Reigns both are fully positive that no one could touch them now. They fell into that security. It is impossible to not, those two would have laughed right in your face if you were to try telling them what today would hold for them later. 

“Yeah, Seth. No worries man, we kick ass first; take names later,” Roman smiles from behind the wheel. It is hard to not smile, there were no more ‘what ifs’ about their brotherhood, their friendship. He feels as though they will always be together. He is finally safe, they are untouchable. It is such a shame, such horrible timing. Seth hates everything about it. He doesn’t want any part of it, but disobeying would destroy so much more than he could afford to lose. Rollins would have to do this, to protect his brothers and himself. On top of that, it will ensure all three of them are brought success. He just hopes that one day they will get to hear the truth, and believe it. 

Roman and Dean both voiced how safe they finally felt. ‘Not a damn thing can happen to us now!’ Dean had cheered, slinging his arms around his two friends’ shoulders in that moment. ‘Then, now, and forever?’ Seth asked, smiling trying to block out the god awful thoughts about what he was going to have to do. ‘Forever! Believe that, boys!’ Roman practically shouted in their hotel room, putting out his fist. Rollins and Ambrose didn’t hesitant to put their fists out with Reigns’. It had been one of the best mornings for The Shield. Seth will never forget; he will always remember every moment with his two greatest friends.

Seth had gotten good at hiding his feelings in the last hour of the car ride. He is smiling and laughing with Dean and Roman as they get their things out of the rental car. Before they have even walked five feet from the vehicle, Rollins throws an arm around his fellow Shield member; putting him in a head-lock. Ambrose quickly protests against the grip, chuckling as he drops his bag to grab his friend’s arm. It wasn’t a tight or rigidly enforced hold, it was simply put in place for fun. Roman musses in his mind, grinning at the two of them. Seth’s sudden mood shift is long forgotten; all that matters is that they are all happy. 

It is easy for The Lunatic Fringe to slide out of the head-lock. Opting to try getting Seth into one of his own, but The Architect takes a quick couple steps forward; earning him a smirk from his two friends. Today is such a good day, a great day even. Eventually, they make it into the building, getting many congratulations and claps on the back for their well-fought, well-earned win last night. It is no secret that the locker room feels a good amount freer than it has in a very long time. Triple H and Stephanie had oppressed most of them into their lackeys. Now, with The Shield virtually in charge, a lot of them finally feel like they can just be themselves again. 

That feels almost like a drug, it is like magic to the trio. They walk through the arena, heads high and full of pride. They all want to get used to this feeling. Now, everyone surely respects them, they are in a place of power out of hard work and respect; not fear and manipulation. Okay, people still fear them but they were no longer terrified of them. These guys are not the tyrants they seemed to be for the longest time. Dean, Seth, and Roman very well could unlock that power of theirs but not to gain control. Instead, it is strictly for protecting themselves, each other, and everyone else from someone who dares to try destroying what they have created. Tonight, they deal with the final bits of Evolution and The Authority.


	2. Chapter One: Keep Tellin' Yourself You Were Right / Chapter Two: Distrust and Togetherness

**Chapter One: Keep Tellin’ Yourself You Were Right**

Seth Rollins sits backstage, trying to shake off what he had said to Dean and Roman, what they had said to him. If there was ever the smallest doubt about how they feel towards him, it was answered loud and clear. He hangs his head, and to think, tonight was only a house show. The twenty-eight year old groans as he lifts his arms over his head to stretch out his back. Damn it, Reigns and Ambrose had done a serious number on his back with that stupid chair. It could always be worse, he guesses, Dean could’ve gotten a kendo stick. Then The, now self-proclaimed, Architect would really be hurting. He absolutely hates the way they yelled at him, the hatred that burned in their eyes. He has lost so much more than just tag team and ‘business’ partners, he lost the only two people that really, truly gave a damn about him. 

“This is for them,” he mumbles to himself, he finds himself saying this an awful lot. Seth never got a choice, probably never will unless someone frees him from The Authority. According him though, he picked this, he wanted this, and he loves it. That couldn’t be anymore incorrect. If only he could tell someone the truth. Oh what use would that be? No one will listen, let alone believe him. Even Natalya had a few choice words him. Nattie is like the nicest person in the WWE, and she all but cussed him out earlier. Everyone hates him, it isn’t like he couldn’t blame them. All he wishes for is that someone would believe that maybe he didn’t get a choice. It is more than a stretch, it’s just not even a possibility. 

“Rollins! There you are, been lookin’ all of the place for you,” the sound of Randy Orton’s voice nearly causes the former Hound of Justice to fly straight out of his skin. Seth snorts, looking up right at Orton, crossing his arms across his chest. “Have fun gettin’ your ass kicked?” the older wrestler snickers. The younger growls, standing up from the box he had been seated on. The Viper is the last person Rollins wants to deal with right now, or at all, ever, for that matter. Randy really gets on his nerves, which isn’t an easy feat. He can usually stand quite a bit of crap, but all bets are off the second Orton even walks into the same room or hallway or ring he’s already in. 

“Oh shut up, I was entertaining the crowd. The fans were dying to have Ambrose and Reigns beat the hell outta me. I’ve kicked your ass plenty, Orton,” Seth seethes, glaring at the man that’s supposed to be his new teammate. The older male whacks the younger upside the head, grinning at the pained reaction he gets from Rollins. The Architect grits his teeth together as he clutches at the back of his skull. “What was that for?!” he snaps, getting a laugh from Randy. It’s not really smart to talk shit about The Viper, it’s even dumber to say it to his face. Does Seth really care though? Not when he’s trying to defend his pride. 

“You know better than to talk to me like that. You might’ve been able to pull that with your boy-toys but that is not gonna happen with me. You hear me?” The Viper hisses, it takes all of Seth’s self-control to not punch him right in the face right then and there. Removing his hand from his head, he straightens up, locking gazes with Orton. It is completely alright to trash talk him, but it is far from okay to say anything negative or dishonoring about his- well former, brothers. This always makes him angry, it is the one sure-fire way to get right under his skin. Depending on what they say, it can earn you a swift kick in the ass. No one gets to trash Dean and Roman; especially not Orton.

“Oh I hear you, but let’s get one thing clear. You are to never badmouth my brothers. Treat me how you please, but I will not stand here and let them get dishonored by your shit-eating mouth,” the words leave Seth’s mouth without much thought. It is still second-nature to him to defend Dean and Roman, all that he is glad for it that this ‘outburst’ wasn’t in front of Hunter or Stephanie. He can deny it if Randy takes his words to the so-called ‘Queen’ and ‘King’ of WWE. It would be a snake’s word against Seth’s, another snake in retrospect; but he is certain that they would take his word over The Viper’s. However, the sadistic laughter from Orton tells Seth that life is about to get very unpleasant for him. 

“Brothers? Really, Seth? Those two hate you,” he sneers, smiling widely. “You betrayed those losers and joined the winning team. We-,” Randy is suddenly silenced when the younger wrestler smacks him right across the mouth. Seth’s anger is going through the roof; no one gets to talk about his friends that way. Then, he remembers, they are no longer his friends- probably never will be again. It doesn’t deter him; he will not let this asshole talk shit about Ambrose and Reigns. Those two were the best thing that ever happened to him. Rollins isn’t about to just forget all of that, all of those times together. The Shield’s moments in and out of the ring will forever play in his mind. He would always defend those memories, they are far too meaningful to just let someone come in and shit all over them.

“Losers?! You weren’t saying that when Dean pinned your ass at Payback! Or when Roman pinned Hunter. Trust me, those men are far from losers. They will always be some of the best this business has to offer. They’re better than you are, that’s for damn sure,” Seth snarls, bracing himself for an attack. He gets ready to fight back, he knows that Orton has a short-temper and won’t hesitate to throw punches in response to something that he doesn’t like. There is silence, which is never a good sign when it comes to Randy. Rollins holds his ground, he has to. He feels crappy enough, he doesn’t plan on acting like some sort of a weak link. He must keep going on, it’s the only way to ensure Dean and Roman’s safety and success as wrestlers. 

It comes as no shock when The Viper swings a fist at The Architect. It does shock Orton when the younger is able to dodge the blow entirely. Seth throws one back, catching Randy on the jaw despite his attempt to back up; The Viper had leaned into his own punch far too much. Of course, it did little to phase the older wrestler. He had been hit in the face quite a bit over the years, all it does is piss him off. He lunges forward, causing the other male to jump back. Rollins wasn’t prepared when Orton yanks his legs out from underneath him. The Architect hits the cement back first, unable to keep his head from hitting next. His mouth opens, but no sound comes out as the wind was knocked right out of his lungs. The pain from being beaten with a steel chair earlier grips his body.

The Viper stifles a laugh. Why fight fairly, when you can fight dirty and always win? Seth’s skull is pounding and he struggles to catch his breath. His back is absolutely killing him. This isn’t over, and he knows it. Being smart, he stays down trying to gather some strength back. It could fool the older male into thinking he’s weak, which is where he would strike. Rollins calms his racing heart, looking down the hallway. In the back of his mind, he wishes Dean and Roman will come running. Unfortunately, he knows that’s not going to happen. They won’t protect him, not anymore. 

Orton looks around the two of them, just being sure that he won’t get caught. Though, he could easily bullshit his way out of trouble. Just have to tell Hunter and Steph that Seth wasn’t acting loyally. It is a strong point of his, lying. In that moment, this small moment that Randy is distracted, Rollins hustles to his feet. His head spins but he throws all of his weight at The Viper, successfully making him unbalanced. The Architect knows it won’t last so he flings his arm as if he were swinging a baseball bat. It doesn’t matter how sloppy it is or how ugly it looks if it works. 

The older finds himself on the ground, the side of his head aches. All he sees is red when he jumps to his feet, colliding with Rollins like a metal dodgeball that had bounced up from the floor. Seth is now on his ass; his eyes keep losing focus. He’s unsure whether it’s because it’s tears from the pain or the fact that he had hit his head on cement previously. Either way, it costs him dearly as he fails to block the oncoming, and unrelenting strikes from the older wrestler above him. Something snaps within him, The Architect starts throwing punches and slaps wildly. Most of them actually hit, until his wrists are grabbed. Randy forcefully pushes the younger all the way to the floor, pinning Seth’s arms above his head. Rollins groans at the pain that he feels like he’s swimming in.

“You just enjoy pissing me off, don’t you?” The Viper growls right in Rollins’ face. “Did it hurt when your skull hit the ground? You thought I would forget about the concussion you gave yourself at TLC two years ago? Oh no, I would never forget such a weakness. I suggest not mouthing off to me again, this is just a taste of what I can do when no one’s looking.” It is meant to warn the smaller wrestler to watch his mouth. Though both of them know that Seth isn’t always the best at biting his tongue. The older greatly anticipates their next little tiff, he enjoys inflicting pain on people who piss him off; and Rollins is incredibly good at doing just that. Just as suddenly as Randy had come to find The Architect, he stands back up, letting go of Seth. He just walks away, like nothing happened; leaving the former Hound of Justice to drown in his own thoughts. This is only going to getting harder, and he knows it. 

**Chapter Two: Distrust and Togetherness**

Dean Ambrose sits himself down on a bench in the locker room, sighing contently to himself. Now, all he has to do is wait for Roman Reigns to be ready to go. He would be lying if he said it didn’t feel good to beat the ever-living crap out of Seth. It feels great, to be perfectly honest, but it is far from healing the wounds that, that weasel left in his heart. It annoys him, how could someone change like that? What had he done wrong? Could that night have been prevented? The Lunatic Fringe has many questions that can only be answered by that arrogant little brat. Of course, he knows he would never ask. What’s the point if you will never get the truth? 

He feels stuck, there’s a chance that he may never feel okay again. Dean already no longer feels safe, especially when he’s alone. It’s like a sickening déjà vu from his years on the independent circuits. Even then, for a few years, he had Sami Callahan with him. Though, after what Seth did, many of his fellow wrestlers have openly vouched for him and Reigns. They say they have his back, even some of the ones that he’s used as punching bags in the past. It all seems as though they have willingly forgotten The Shield and have been offering their support to the two remaining Hounds of Justice. 

Dean doesn’t trust a single one of them, not even Roman at times. That kills him inside, he doesn’t trust his own best friend? Thankfully, the older seems to completely understand it. It isn’t like it’s not understandable. Ambrose and Reigns had just been stabbed in the back by a man they called a best friend, a brother even. The Lunatic Fringe now gets to spend his nights terrorizing Seth, making that traitor’s life a living hell. It is a lot of fun actually, ruining his matches and opportunities. Rollins does it back quite often, but it just keeps the hatred Ambrose harbors for him burning fiercely. 

“Hey, you ready to get going?” a gentle voice gets Dean’s full attention. He leaps up from where he had been sitting, prepared to fight. “Dean, relax. It’s only me.” Ambrose looks down at the ground, realizing it is only Roman. He feels stupid for thinking it could’ve been anyone else, or someone who wants to pick a fight with him. How ludicrous of him, how stupid and embarrassing. Slowly, Reigns reaches out to softly place his hand under his friend’s chin. The Lunatic Fringe lets it happen, lets his head be tilted back up to face his friend. “It’s okay, I’m never going to hurt you. Let’s get to our hotel, sound good?” Roman asks, reassuring the man he holds nearest and dearest to his heart. 

Dean nods his head against his best friend’s hand. The two of them silently gather up their bags, leaving the locker room; a few of the small amount of remaining stars bid the pair goodbyes and goodnights. Roman is the one that returns them, knowing Ambrose is lost in thought. He decides to let his mind wonder as well after the door closes behind them. It has been less than a week since that two-faced asshole stabbed them in the back. Just thinking about him doesn’t exactly light him on fire, like it seems to do to Dean. Roman can think about Seth all he wants. Sure, it pisses him off but what really bothers him is what this has done to The Lunatic Fringe. 

The Powerhouse’s anger toward the man they once called a brother pales in comparison to Dean’s. In total honesty, he almost- almost, could care less about what Rollins had done. It gave him or Ambrose the chance to become champion. To Reigns, that is so much sweeter than trying to make a mess out of Seth’s life. He wouldn’t tell this to his brother, he just couldn’t. It would feel like a slap in the face. How could he just not care about that dick’s betrayal? It even confuses him, he should be furious, he should be hurt, he should be struggling to sleep at night, and he should no longer trust anyone. Why doesn’t he feel like Dean does? 

Roman now dedicates a lot of his time into protecting his short haired friend. The man means everything to him, and seeing him this way is what keeps him up at night. Dean cannot get over what Seth did, said, does, and continues to say. The only reason either of them sleep is because they exhaust themselves in the ring. Sure, it’s not necessarily the healthiest way to do things but it works. They have to sleep or they won’t be able to perform in the ring. Despite the fact that they had in the past wrestled two huge matches in which they had no sleep in between. It was when they had to be flown in by helicopter to the area in London to fight the Undertaker and Team Hell No; because of the time-zone differences. They wrestled only hours after wrestling in different match, with no sleep, and severe jet-lag. 

Before they know it, the pair is mindlessly stuffing their bags into the trunk of their rental car. This happens every night, nothing new, nothing special tonight. Once everything is packed away, they share a glance at each other before Roman gets into the driver’s seat and Dean climbs into the passenger seat. Ambrose promises in his mind that he will drive in the morning, since Reigns has been driving a lot lately. Though, to The Powerhouse, it isn’t a big deal. He actually finds driving to be relaxing while his younger friend finds it to be a chore. Dean doesn’t really enjoy driving, there are just too many stupid people on the road. It’s like they’re all there just to piss him off. 

The drive is silent, even the radio is off the entire time. The two of them haven’t been turning the car radio on at all these last few days. Everything that plays reminds them of Rollins. That man traveled with them, with those songs playing. Whether they sang along, chatted, or sat in silence they were together in one car. Whatever music happened to be on over the last year and a half will always remind Dean of the night after Payback. Even the country station that Ambrose loves couldn’t be played. As much as Seth disliked that genre, he would put it on just because The Lunatic Fringe likes it. Dean would do the same for The Architect, finding a rock station or plugging in his phone to search up Rollins’ favorite bands. Roman never did care what played, he just enjoyed quietly soaking in his two friends having a good time together on the drives they took. 

At every red light Reigns gets caught at, he will spare a look or glance his best friend. He tries reading the expressions that are passing over his features. Roman just couldn’t figure out how Dean feels; he just knows that he’s not okay. That is enough to make him tread lightly with his fellow wrestler. The Powerhouse knows Ambrose is going through some serious trust issues; and that’s just the tip of this never ending iceberg. It sucks, he hates it. Why? Just fuckin’ why? Seth meant the world to Dean- and Roman, just as Rollins had fooled everyone into thinking that Ambrose and Reigns meant everything to him too. The Architect never seemed like the kind of a guy that would just turn on his friends like that. He willingly did insane things to protect the two men he once called brothers. Who would do such things for people that meant nothing to them? 

It takes nearly two hours, but they get to the next city. They’re staying at a hotel that is only five blocks from the arena. Neither of them are yet aware of this, they are too distracted to really care anyways. The pair just wants to get to their hotel room and call it a night. Their minds continue to wonder and wander as they get their duffle bags and suitcases. Roman makes sure they have everything, before following Dean into the lobby. It’s maybe eleven o’clock at night now, the quietness throughout the building only proves that it is fairly late. Though, this is a normal hour to be up at for most of WWE’s wrestlers. Late is three in the morning, at that point there isn’t a point in sleeping. Just drink lots of coffee and hope for the best. That isn’t healthy, but for most people it’s easier to not sleep than only get three hours of shut eye. At least that is how it tends to be for them. 

Dean and Roman make it up to their room, flipping on only two of the lights. If anything, they’re just silently thrilled to no longer be out in public. No one is watching them anymore. They’re free to relax without having to worry about someone seeing them and snapping pictures. Ambrose tosses his bag onto one of the chairs in the corner of the room closest to the window. It isn’t like he really cares where his stuff stays for the night, it’s in the room and it’s not going to trip anyone. He tucks his suitcase under the same chair, making sure it’s not sticking out at all. Roman settles his things underneath the singular table in the room, again, so neither of them trip if one or both of them were to get up in the night. Even though they rarely do, it is a habit and common curtesy to them. The pair stand back up at the same moment, finding their eyes on each other. Some might find this weird, but to them it is the only conversation they want. A silent, understanding one. 

Reigns moves across the room, standing right in front of his best friend. For the first time he’s able to see clear emotions in the younger male’s face and eyes. Blue-grey eyes that once held so much life and joy, now appear dull and lack-luster; though they still hold their beautiful color. It is something that the older will never forget, it will haunt him to see this kind of pain in his brother’s eyes. Dean could easily say the same. Roman’s green eyes seem to have faded like an old tattoo that has seen too much sunlight. They both know it isn’t from the lighting in the room, they could literally see the hurt, stress, and fear in each other’s eyes. They both silently swear that they could never make each other feel this way. One person has done enough damage for the rest of both of their lives. 

Roman is the one that closes the distance between them, gently pulling Dean into his arms. Ambrose doesn’t stiffen up at the contact. Instead, as if on instinct, he gratefully returns the embrace. No words are needed. They understand, they need this moment. So, they stay in each other’s arms. To an outsider it might seem as though this moment in time is lasting an awful long time. To them, however, it is as if the hands of time are racing around the clock. It is like they only have seconds to explain exactly how they feel, to try getting all of their pain out of the chests and minds. These two know they will never leave each other’s lives. As childish as the whole ‘best friends forever’ can be, it feels like it’s entirely true for the pair. But they are so much more than just best friends, they’re brothers; and family bonds this strong, stay together. Death may part love and end marriages, but it can’t even put a tiny dent or crack in a family connected through something so much stronger than blood; spirit and togetherness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is set less than a week after June 2nd, around a house show that actually happened. I forget how soon after his heel turn when that 'match' took place. I saw little video clips from it, it's been a really long time since I saw it though so I can't remember what exactly happened or when. I just know that Dean and Roman had a steel chair and were beating Seth with it. 
> 
> Also, this is longer because it has both Chapter One and Chapter Two. My OCD is going crazy because the Prologue comes up as chapter one. So I had to 'fix' it. So, Chapter Three will really be chapter three once it get's written. The title 'Keep Tellin' Yourself You Were Right' is a The Dead Rabbitts song title. It played while I was writing the part where Seth was yelling at Randy. It seemed to fit to me. 
> 
> Please enjoy!  
> -Enzo


	3. Deepest Cut

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title from Get Scared's song, 'Deepest Cut'. If you imagine it as a duet between Seth and Dean, it makes more sense- at least for me, for this fic. The events here take place on June 10th, 2014.

**Chapter Three: Deepest Cut**

The Architect stands up to glance at himself in the mirror. Great, just great, he thinks to himself sarcastically as he glares at the reflection. Seth had high hopes that the punch Randy threw at him earlier wouldn’t leave a mark. Of course, as fate would have it, there’s a bruise forming where his jaw-bone nearly meets his cheek-bone. That’s going to hurt in the morning. Rollins moves away from the glass, picking up one of his duffle bags from the bench. The twenty-eight year old digs around in the bag for a moment, sighing softly when he finds what he’s looking for. His glasses. Once they’re on, he looks at his reflection once more before leaving the locker room with his things. It’s been eight days. Only eight? The two-toned male groans to himself, it feels like it’s been so much longer. Tonight wasn’t normal either, Ambrose didn’t come out to wreck his match with Dolph. Seth got the pin-fall victory by some miracle. Dean manages to be on his mind and under his skin when he’s not even there. Then again, The Lunatic Fringe had to take on Bray Wyatt by himself, so his hands were probably full.

Now, he does have something to look forward to, three days off. After Orton’s little attack this afternoon he decided to head to Canada instead of going home. It was a choice he made to avoid having to deal with The Viper, knowing he plans on being with his girlfriend and kids. Seth, sometimes, he wonders how in the hell Randy has a girlfriend and children when he’s a controlling asshole to his fellow wrestlers. Rollins doesn’t dare ask, he would rather live never knowing than die at the hands of that snake. On the flipside, Hunter informed him this morning he would be taking on Dean in a live match in Canada on the fourteenth. Guess he has that to look forward to in a few days. Maybe the fans there would be nicer to him, he almost laughs at the thought. Yeah, fat chance. If Natalya was on the verge of cussing him out, he can’t imagine any other Canadian’s reaction will be a whole lot better. 

Just as he rounds a corner that will put him in one of the hallways that leads to the garage he stops dead in his tracks. Dean and Roman aren’t even ten feet down the hall, Ambrose is sitting on one of the big, black equipment crates with Reigns fussing over a small cut under his friend’s eye. Rollins scuttles backwards, his heart races like he’s just been caught committing a crime. However, his two former teammates seem to have not noticed him at all. The Lunatic Fringe keeps grumbling that he’s fine and Roman doesn’t need to worry about him. The older wrestler mutters a few colorful words about Bray, saying something along the lines of he should kick his ass for leaving a mark on his little brother. Dean gives in at that point, from what Seth could hear. The Architect sighs, leaning against the wall; listening to their voices. This is the closest he’s been without them trying to kill him. And to think, it is a sheer coincidence, an accident even. He wasn’t looking for them; he didn’t plan on eavesdropping on them. All he wanted is to leave the arena. 

Suddenly, there’s the sound of boots against the polished concrete; heading in Seth’s direction. He knows it’s his former Shield-mates, so in a rush he spins around and heads off back the way he came. There is another way to the parking garage, it’s called walking a full lap around the arena. Rollins tries to act as casually as he possibly can, telling himself not to look back or they’ll see him. It doesn’t even take that; Dean notices him in an instant, shouting a string of profanities at him. Roman grabs his friend’s arm as Seth dares to look over his shoulder. Reigns curses under his breath when The Lunatic Fringe yanks his arm free from his grasp and runs towards Rollins, The Powerhouse darts after him. The Architect panics, turning all the way around to face the men that were once his best friends. Seth drops his bags as he quickly finds himself backing up. Ambrose’s hatred scares him far more than Randy’s rage. 

“Dean! You’re gonna get suspended! Don’t be stupid!” Roman calls out, which actually stops Dean just as Rollins’ back connects with a wall. The Architect, with eyes wide, watches his former brothers closely. The Lunatic Fringe is no more than two feet from him as Reigns comes up to stand next to his friend. The Powerhouse places on comforting hand on his teammate’s shoulder. “You lay a finger on him, he’ll just snitch on you and get you in trouble. Let’s not do that, okay? Come on, we have a plane to catch.” With that, Dean turns on his heel and storms off toward some other place in the arena; somewhere quiet Seth assumes. “You’re lucky I care about our jobs more than I hate you, or I would’ve let him rip you to shreds just now,” Roman growls, before hurrying off after his brother. Rollins struggles to come to terms with that just happened. Shaking his head, he takes a deep breath. 

Once The Architect feels like he can sort of breathe again, he gathers his things back up and makes his way out to the parking garage. He keeps looking over his shoulders, just waiting for Ambrose or Orton to ambush him. This is his life now, wondering helplessly when someone is going to jump him when least expects it. Eight days, it’s only been eight days. Seth actually smiles, sighing in relief when he reaches his rental car. Rollins unlocks the SUV, tossing his duffle bags carelessly into the back seat. Roman’s voice echoes in his head, ‘I hate you’. Sighing deeply, he’s not even surprised that Reigns said that to him; he just wants to try pretending he never heard it. Upon closing the door, he about jumps out of his boots when he sees Randy’s reflection in the window of the vehicle. Seth forces himself to laugh curtly as he turns around, causally leaning up against the side of the automobile. Just his luck, he would nearly get the hell beat out of him by Dean only to possibly get a beating from The Viper afterwards. 

“What do you want, Randy? Haven’t you hit me enough for one day?” The Architect groans, trying to think of all of the ways he can get away from him. There’s a chance he could get away, but he just hopes that the garage is far too open of a place for an attack. There’s security cameras everywhere, he wouldn’t dare lay a finger on him in public, right? Orton looks upwards; out of curiosity, Seth follows his gaze. The younger wrestler grins at what he sees, a camera with a little red light shining on top of it. The Viper growls before locking his sights on the smaller male in front of him once more. Rollins doesn’t feel nearly as afraid of him, knowing that man isn’t stupid enough to get arrested. Randy’s sadistic smirk brings a good amount of that fear back. Maybe he really is that stupid. 

“Actually, I have something else in mind,” Orton states, no emotion in his tone despite the twisted smile on his lips. “You should’ve see Ambrose,” The Viper starts, snickering as Seth growls and tenses up. If this asshole so much as laid a single finger on Dean, he’s going to come unglued. “Stand down, Seth. I didn’t even need to hurt ‘your precious little’ Dean. You already did that for me.” Confusion is an understatement. The Architect knows he hasn’t so much as gotten in an argument with The Lunatic Fringe in the last three days. Hell, he didn’t even see him outside of the ring until today. Seth didn’t attack Dean at all, Roman would’ve killed him if he had. Rollins pushes himself off the car, reminding himself about the security cameras. This snake isn’t worth getting arrested, he tells himself in the safety of his mind. 

“I have barely even seen him lately, I haven’t done anything to him,” The Architect snaps, his fists balling up at his sides. This makes no sense. He wouldn’t dare hurt Ambrose. Not only would he have to deal with Reigns, they would both only hate him more; that’s something he doesn’t want. A huge part of him still holds out hope that one day he’ll be free to tell them the truth. Finding a way to do that would only be a step, getting them to believe him would be a whole ‘nother deal. Randy laughs, crossing his arms over his chest. It amuses him just how clueless the two-toned man could be. 

“Oh, is that so? That wasn’t what he was saying when he went past me with his big, bad brother chasing after him,” Orton sneers. Seth sucks in a breath. What the fuck is he going on about? “You have totally ruined that man. He thinks that you fooled him, fooled everyone into thinking he, and Roman, were important to you. How’d you manage that one, Mr. Undisputed Future?” Rollins’ eyes look his ‘teammate’ over. Stepping backwards until he bumps into the side of his rental car. Dean doesn’t think that; Randy is just screwing with his head. He’s trying to break him down. Ambrose wouldn’t get it in his head that he and Reigns never mattered to Seth, would he? After what he did, he betrayed them; in one of the most awful ways he could’ve. Only thing worse than what he did is if he would have straight up told them that he hated them. He wishes he could’ve just asked to go off on his own, they might have understood that. Rollins sighs, The Authority thrives off of making everyone else’s lives a living hell. 

“Go away. Go torment someone else,” The Architect growls, his voice wavers causing Orton to start laughing. Nevertheless, he actually turns and walks away. Seth drags a hand through his hair, unsure how he should react. Should he cry because Dean and Roman hate him? Should he scream because he’s pissed off at himself? Of course, being him, he won’t do either. Rollins gets into the driver’s seat, happy to just be getting out of here for the night. He barely manages to stay at the speed limit, not wanting to risk having to encounter Randy again, or anyone for that matter. The sooner he can get to the airport, the better; even though he knows that it won’t get him to Canada any quicker. All he wants is to get what Orton told him out of his mind. It is going to drive him mad. At a light, he rubs his eyes in an attempt to keep his tears at bay. He’s Seth Freakin’ Rollins, and Seth Freakin’ Rollins doesn’t cry.

Seth isn’t able to take the silence once he nears the free-way so he reaches over and turns on the radio. It doesn’t take long to find a station that he can stand to listen to; Dean’s favorite country station. Rollins almost looks over his shoulder to laugh and tell Ambrose that he put his music on for him. Of course, The Lunatic Fringe isn’t there and he knows it; but he leaves the radio on anyways. It’s actually soothing to him, just enjoying the more mellow genre. The Architect’s preferred music is practically a polar opposite to Dean’s; but tonight he can’t think of anything else he’d rather be listening to. He finds himself mumbling some of the words to a Garth Brooks song, one he couldn’t name. He isn’t able to really name a whole lot of country songs or artists, but he knows a few of them. 

Not long after that, a song he knows oh too well comes on. ‘Check Yes or No’ by George Strait. Seth would’ve slammed on his brakes if he hadn’t thought better of it. This song? Why did it have to be this one? Rollins fondly remembers the first time the song had come on when The Shield was all in the car together. Dean sang every word perfectly, which caused his brothers to smile and laugh a little at him. He insisted it was a cute song, and that he was, ‘a sucker for that shit’. His exact words. The Architect noted the song’s title and put it on his phone. His reasons were so he could play it to cheer up Ambrose and so he could learn it, for the same reason. Seth still remembers when that song came on last year and he started singing it. The Lunatic Fringe’s reaction was something that made life worth living, to Rollins. It was such a simple thing to do; learn the words to one of your best friend’s favorite songs. Dean sang louder and prouder than he had in a while that night. It was over six months ago, but it felt like it was just last week. The memory gives The Architect something to really smile about. It would hurt later but for now, he sings along not missing a single word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it! Sorry I've been away from this fic for a few days. I had most of this one written but got stuck half-way through Randy and Seth's conversation. I stepped away and got inspired. I'm very happy to upload this tonight, I won't spoil MITB for anyone though. Let's just say, it was awesome! Well, two of the matches were all the way through. Most actually weren't too great, but they were expected XD Perfect ending though <3 
> 
> Next chapter, they'll be in Canada! 
> 
> -Enzo

**Author's Note:**

> Hopefully you enjoyed! I'd love to hear what you guys think. Is this a good size for a 'chapter'? Hopefully I'll get this story moving right along :) 
> 
> -Enzo


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